The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1887-04-07
poLLYs RELIGION.


her, They kse~ abs Vas 0ue 81 the Aus
,ruiher OF ksntnety
There are Anstfnthep 10 The U0ite
Prs.byterian church. said Grsce. II bop
Mary belongs TO our membership,
''ob, yes. certainly" said Joe. eagerly
He Vas lnsi starting 10 bo msrried aud b
wss very anxious that they should all Low
Polly IN advance
4 Does shsnug in the cboirs' 'nquire'
Isabella In
II think not. hut she has one OF tb'
sveetesi voices "a low con,ralto, Ans
you ought 10 hear her laugh, Belle Th'
merriest ring oh she'll bring new lif'
into this house.
The girls smiled. They were fond o.
Joe. and ready to welcome bis wife.
'But hope she is ready - take lead
isg part IN the church, Z said Grace, after
- hsd eSss 'Jos ~iii some DAY OIL bis
fathers place. and his description Of bei
does not give me the idea Of au energetic
religious woman.
4 "well hope for the best said Isabella
She was very busy making an imitation
stained glass window for the Sunday
school room and was anxious TO finish il
before Mary arrived.
Uncle Ben must be kept 10 bis own
room when she comes, aud Tom can be
sent to the country for months visit "
Grice said, her delicate cheek flushing
painfully.
For there we're two skeletons IN the
Demiug household The squire's brother
Ben. who was psrslytic old soldier, and
most cross grained. profsne old fellow,
occupied one wing Of the mansion He
bad man to nurse and read to him, for
bis oaths were intolerable to bis nieces.
Tom was their brother younger than Joe.
Tom bad disappeared for three years after
he left college and bad come back a hag-
gard, dIssipated loafer.
Nobody in Balls Ferry knew what he
had done 10 that gap OF time, bnt were
certain that he was under the bans
marked man The family treated him
with gloomy patience. They had taken
up their cross and bore il; but it was
heavy aud he knew they found 1t so. Tom
was never seen by visitors at the table or
in the parlor. At dusk he would skulk
out to see some Of his comrades at the
village grog shops, and occasionally, but
not often, was brought home brutally in
toxicated.
Joe's wife disappointed them all. She
was plump, merry girl, nothing more
"A very pleasant little heathen!" sighed
Grace, after two days had passed
II named some of the best books on
fiction but she never heard OF
them; and she did not know of single
one OF onr foreign missions.
Good Mrs, Deming was uneasy at this,
and that very evening turned the conyer
sation on doctrinal subjects Polly grew
red.
II am afraid, she said, Il am not clear
In my ideas concerning these difficult
points. The truth is, after mothers
leath, bad the charge Of my four little
brothers, and had SO little time"
"You will have time now, said Isabel
"a. II will mark out a course Of doctrinal
reading for you"
But Mary made slow progress with her
course OF reading. As time passed and
,he settled down into her place in the
household she proved to be very busy
title woman. She had positive talent
'or fading work; took her part at the
amily mendng, tossed up dainty little
lesserts, helped Joe with his accounts
When Joe had gone to bis Office she took
walks, advised mother Dem
ng about her fancy work, or copied tie
'qnires papers for him.
"Wbst a clerky hand you write. said
Trace one day. often wish mine were
not so delicate when father worries over
hose papers. But as for mothers EN-
women OF her age ought 10 give
up that useless work when their eyes are
siIing.
ut does not teem useless TO me. said
Polly, gently. "She thinks you all yalue
l."
"Where can Mary go on those intermi
lable walks?" said Isabella to her father
me morning "You should warn her
lbout Black Lane. She may wander into
I and bring home typhoid fever"
"You ought to report that lane as
father, said bis wife 1T is
sink OF filth and vice
1T is disgrace to Balls Ferry tia.
such wreicbes can find harbor 10 il. add
81 Isabella. They ought to be driven
Beyond the borough limits.
"Well, we'll, my dear. it doesn't do to
be too energetic. said the squire
They never bad chance
He was aroused however to mention
Black Lane at meeting Of TIE bnrgesses
hat day.
Something ought to be done. or we'll
have typbus among ns, be said
Something bias been done. said Judge !
Psale Il came through the laue this
morning and hardly knew lt, There has
been general draining and eleaniug. the
ssbins are wbi,ewashed the women r
some OF them bad actually washed their
faces 4"
What has happeuedg' asked The squire
Il heard the sound Of chiiiren's voices
singing 10 cue Of the cabins. aud the men
Iold me 1t was Miss Msry's class. Some
good woman bias been 81 work. suspect
Miss Mary the squire's face gres
red. his eyes flashed, bui be ssii noshiog